An Open Letter For A Struggling Christian

Life is full of obstacles, imbalances, and distractions which easily knock us off our God-serving pathway. As humans, we are continuously knocked down, discouraged, and ridiculed. As Christians, we share the same difficulties, just multiplied by ten.

Some of these struggles may come from within our own spiritual community while others may come from underneath our own skin. The toughest critic within your walk with Christ can be yourself and, in my case, it usually is. You can consistently be showered with his influence at home, at school, and within your church, but that small voice inside your head may still push you away from Him.

Trust me, I have been there. I am still there. I fall again and again. I make mistakes repeatedly until I repent so many times that I question if God still even has any faith in me. At that point, I usually begin to bargain. I'm guessing you know the whole "God, if you do this, I promise I'll go to church this Sunday/Wednesday," type deal. I often skip Sunday morning church just because I absolutely despise getting up early and sometimes, I might miss a Wednesday night service because I'd rather watch Vampire Diaries.

I rarely ever read my bible, and I cringe at the idea of putting a bible verse in my Instagram bio. I really could not name another bible verse besides John 3:16 (even if my life depended on it), and you know, if we're being completely honest here, I really don't like Casting Crowns and Christian radio.

I lather myself in sin daily. So much so that I feel like the weakest of the weak on the Christian totem pole. I feel like God's last choice. Sometimes, you WILL feel like God's last pick. You might feel like your sin has buried you so deep that it would take a bulldozer to dig you back into God's light.

The truth of the matter is that God wants you no matter how stained you are.

He wants your sins. He wants your faults. He wants you even if you skipped out on your youth group last Wednesday night just to watch Damon Salvatore fight a bunch of supernatural creatures. He wants you even if you'd rather listen to Post Malone over Casting Crowns. He wants you even if you refused to memorize bible verses at Awana on Wednesday nights as a third-grader, and He wants you even if you've never been to an Awana.

The point is… God wants YOU.

You are God's child. Regardless of how far you've traveled from Him, you will always be His. It doesn't matter if you're a picture-perfect Christian with Colossians 3:15 in your Instagram bio. He loves you just as much as he loves the Christian who attends church every week and has every bible verse memorized by heart.

So next time you feel beaten down and unworthy of even being called a Christian, remember how much your God loves you and how WILLING he is to save you. If He sacrificed His only son to save you, what makes you think He wouldn't willingly forgive you time and time again?

With all those thoughts at hand, jump right back up, let him clear you of your sin, and keep on trying time and time again.